You can hear the voice recording for the diary.
今日は、昨日から来日しているアジア統括部長とランチに行ってきた。
I had lunch with my Japanese colleague and the APAC area manager from the headquarters who arrived in Japan yesterday.
わたしが知る限り、彼が誘ってくれたのだと思っていたが、実はそうではなかった。明日現地調査にいっしょにいく先輩が、彼との懇親会には参加できないので、わざわざ彼にいって時間を作ってもらっていたとわかった。
Initially, I thought that the manager had invited us for lunch, but I was mistaken. It was actually my senior colleague who will be accompanying me on the site visit tomorrow who requested the manager to have a prior conversation with me, as both of us won’t be able to attend the party tomorrow.
オフィスからすぐ近くのちょっとお高いカフェで、パンとサラダをピックアップ。この２つで1,000円を超えるのだから、東京は恐ろしいところだ。
We went to a luxurious cafe near the office, and I chose a piece of bread and a salad. However, even though I made modest selections, the total cost exceeded 1,000 yen. Tokyo can be quite expensive, making it one of the most expensive cities in the world.
会計を済まそうとすると、部長が出してくれた。なんか誘ってもらったのに、申し訳ない。
At the cashier, the manager kindly offered to pay for our lunch, which made me feel apologetic for the misunderstanding.
その後は、カフェで３人で英語でのランチを楽しんだ。普段の会話であればついていけるのに、リモートでとなると話が変わる。やはり、相手の口が動いたりというが、認識するための１つの材料になっているのかと思う。
Regardless, we sat at the table in the cafe and enjoyed our lunch. It was an opportunity for me to engage in face-to-face conversation in English, although I still struggle to understand discussions during remote meetings. I believe that being able to observe facial expressions and body language would enhance my comprehension of spoken conversations.
To be continued.
